§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom citizens have been detained in Brazilian prisons in each year since 1997. [131333]
§ Mr. MullinThe total number of British prisoners detained in Brazilian prisons each year since 1997 is as follows:
Year Number 1997 15 1998 8 1999 12 2000 11 2001 12 2002 15 20031 26 1To date
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list for each year since 1997 the representations(a) he and (b) members of his Department have made to representatives of the Brazilian government concerning the conditions of gaols in Brazil; what assurances were sought; what assurances were given; and if he will make a statement. [131334]
§ Mr. RammellSince. 1997, our dialogue with Brazil on human rights questions has taken place within the framework of the UK-Brazil Joint Declaration on human rights. The situation in Brazil's prisons forms a regular part of our bilateral dialogue. Prisons was one of the topics I discussed during my meeting with Nilmario Miranda, Brazil's Special Secretary for Human Rights, in Brasilia last May.
We have developed an active programme of cooperation with Brazil in this area. A project to improve the management of prisons in the state of Sao Paulo, thereby increasing respect for the human rights of prisoners, has received funding of £191,430 from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Human Rights Project Fund. Key project partners include the Brazilian Federal Government's Department of Prisons and the Sao Paulo State Government's Secretariat of Prison Administration. On 29 August, a successful workshop was held to encourage other State Governments to replicate the ongoing project and discussions continue with federal and state authorities to this end.
A project to produce a Brazilian Portuguese language version of a handbook, 'A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management' has received funding of £12,200 from the FCO's Human Rights Project Fund. The project, operating in partnershipwith the Brazilian Federal Government's Department of Prisons, aims to 1111W distribute copies of this practical guide to all prison staff throughout Brazil, promoting best practice in placing human rights at the centre of prison management, thereby increasing practical respect for the human rights of prisoners throughout the country.